Michael becomes first MC boy to qualify for States

L-L bowlers who finished in the top 12 last Friday at the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Singles Championship to qualify for States in Pittsburgh were (left to right) Manheim Central’s Tanner Michael, Elizabethtown’s Katelyn Garman, Penn Manor’s Dan Mease, and Cedar Crest’s Kolby Bennett. Photo by Barry Decker

Warrior bowlers finish 9th as a team

In 2013, Manheim Central senior Aerika High placed third in the State Girls Bowling Singles Championships, held at Dutch Lanes in Ephrata.

The State Boys Singles Championships have never included a bowler from Manheim Central.

Last Friday, however, it was another senior that created a first for MC bowling.

At Leisure Lanes in Lancaster, Tanner Michael averaged 233 pins per game over the five game Eastern Pennsylvania Regional preliminaries to place eighth and qualify for States, to be held next Friday and Saturday, March 16-17 at Princess Lanes in Pittsburgh.

Michael out-performed his regular season average by 24 pins per game against 149 other bowlers from the eastern half of the Commonwealth. His 207 in round one of the finals fell short of the semi-final roll-off, but still earned him a medal and a trip west.

“I’m very happy with how I rolled today,” said a smiling Michael, after the morning session. “I honestly wasn’t expecting it. That was a nice surprise. All I thought about was staying consistent. Keeping a clear head.”

The performance was no surprise to his coach Chuck Ruhl, who has worked with Michael since he was a freshman.

“All four years of his high school career, he bowled on the varsity team,” Ruhl said. “(Tanner) has had the highest average on the team since he was a sophomore. He also bowled in the number five position, the anchor position since he was a sophomore.”

Teammate Bryson Morton averaged 216.8 over five games to place in the 29th position. Fellow Baron Olivia Good averaged 196 to reach the 30th spot out of 150 girls who bowled at Dutch Lanes. Both were more than 15 pins over their regular season averages.

“Everyone looks at scores, there’s no denying it,” Michael admitted. “I try not to base it on doing as good or better than (my competition). It’s time for me to do well myself.”

Michael will be joined in Pittsburgh by Penn Manor’s Dan Mease, Cedar Crest’s Kolby Bennett and Elizabethtown’s Katelyn Garman.

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In other action, five different Warwick bowlers battled in Friday’s singles competition before teaming up in Saturday’s team competition in a packed, standing-room only house at Leisure Lanes in Lancaster.

Although none of the Warwick five qualified for the State Tournament in Pittsburgh, they will all be back next year for another shot at the brass ring.

Warrior coach Neal Vital looked at the Regional performance, with an eye on the future as well.

“There’s some work to be done,” Warrior coach Neal Vital said, looking at his team’s Regional performance, with an eye on the future as well. “Spare shooting was not good today. They know it. As we get into next season, for this group (the juniors), it’s going to be their last year. There is no next year after that.”

Junior Isaac Erickson (279) posted the second highest single game while finishing 58th out of 190 by averaging 202 in the singles competition. Carter Snavely (192.4 average), Tyler Miller (192.0) and Tony Lutz (184.6) were also competitive in Friday’s tight singles roll-offs.

At the Girls Singles Regional Tournament Friday at Dutch Lanes, junior Ashley Sham fell just 24 pins short of the Pittsburgh trip, averaging 204 over the morning session’s five games while earning a 17th-place finish out of 150 girls.

In Saturday’s team event,

Warwick finished ninth out of 40 teams with 4,051 pins, less than 100 pins short of the finals and the trip to States. In three regulation games, Erickson (631), Sham (627) and Lutz (599) kept the Warriors in striking distance of the finals.

The final six games were in the Baker format, with each of five bowlers rolling two frames during each game. Warwick shot nearly identical 585 and 584 series to complete the Regional competition.

“Their coach is retired now,” Vital said. “I have summer days, nights — whatever they need, to work 1-on-1 or as a group. It’s going to happen.”